Welcome to Centre for Environmental and Socio-economic Regenration (CESR)

–A GATEWAY TO THE WORLD OF NEW POSSIBILITIES–

It came to be known as Centre for Environmental and Socio-economic Regeneration (CESR) in the year 1990 with the hands of some key stripling youth social work professionals experienced in agriculture, horticulture, social work, health, education, women and child development and management. They were from the tribal dominated districts Viz. Purulia, Bankura and Midnapore of Chotanagpur Plateau in West Bengal. Erstwhile, they started their work on various field level activities and programmes included Generation of Environmental awareness, People’s Institution Building and enabling people to initiate participatory planning process using Natural Resources. The members participated in those activities were happened to be the native of the agro-ecological zone, and became highly concerned with the massive deforestation, soil erosion, increase in migration rate, degradation of social values, and increase in poverty. Those malfunctions of society inspired them to form a formal group of professionals so to enable them to work on those problems. So, the formal group had been created and registered under the Societies’ Registration Act in the year 1993 to undertake development activities in the region in an out-and-out manner.

The year 1993 was characterised in this context by an emphasis on team development, training for personal growth, and self-directed learning and by strategies that were designed to achieve fundamental change and shifts in the organisation. During the year 1997 the organisation also registered its name under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

Modern scenario of the Organization

Centre for Environmental and Socio-economic Regeneration (CESR) is a non-government organisation (NGO) working for environment protection and socio-economic development of tribal and economically backward communities. It has been engaging itself on voluntary and research based social work in and around the district of Purulia, Bankura, Midnapore in West Bengal and East & West Singhbhum District in Jharkhand from its inception. Since 2008 it has been working on Project based Social Work. From then till date CESR is well affluent and well enriched organization from various respect. Though, Purulia is rendered one of the backward districts out of 246 so called backward districts of India but still CESR has been performing till date by keeping in mind every snags and difficulties regarding every aspect i.e. environmental, social, cultural, economic, political, communication and related to other problems.

 CESR works in the communities and villages of tribal, marginalised and economically backward people in West Bengal. Since its inception in 1993, CESR has been working in the tribal and backward caste dominated villages in Purulia and Bankura districts of West Bengal. At present, the organisation works in more than 4,500 villages under 26 (Twenty Six) community development Blocks both Purulia and Bankura districts of West Bengal. The villages were selected because of their socio-economic backwardness and environmental degradation due to deforestation.

Our Vision

We envision – Social empowerment and economic development of tribal, backward and marginalised community, and protection of the environment through responsible use and management of natural resources.

Our Mission

Our Mission is to create an enabling environment where people, especially the disadvantaged and marginalised community can participate in development process with equity and bring about overall well being of masses by restoring and sustaining the productive natural resource base.

Strategy

CESR’s strategy is built on its deep-routed presence in the tribal and backward areas, understanding the lives, practices and issues of the people living in those areas, and its knowledge of how to promote social justice, equity and dignity for all citizens, especially the socially excluded and economically marginalized citizens and communities.

CESR’s strategy to achieve its Mission comprises of three inter-related elements:

    • To mobilise local people, particularly the tribal and marginalised community, plan and implement long term programs for sustainable environmental and socio-economic development through active participation ofpeople.
    • To work with various development organizations, government and Partners in implementing various projects on environmental and socio-economic regeneration
  • To support various development partners in building their capacity , implementing and managing their activities through training , consulting , research & studies



Objectives

    • To promote ecologically sustainable development and improvement of Quality of Life (QOL) through strategies for collective well being.
    • To bring in economic development of tribals and economically backward communities through various local resource based practices
    • To design and promotestrategies and conduct advocacy for responsibleuse of sustainable natural resources, preservation of biodiversity, reduction of pollution, reduction of socio-economic and gender disparity, and better health care.
    • To build community awareness about the issues related to environment,population, health, water and sanitation.
    • To preserve cultural heritage with special emphasis on folk and tribal culture in rural areas and codify indigenous knowledge systems.
    • To empower poor women economically, and give them a voice, increase awareness of women’s rights, and ensure their access to basic services,control over natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services.
  • To create legal awareness among the poor and marginalised people.

Board Members

Sl.No. Name of the Office bearers and EC Members Educational Qualification Year of experience Designation in the Executive Committee
1. Mr. Ajit Kumar Pati M.S.W. 50 Chairman
2. Mr. Debasis Panda M.S.W. 32 Secretary
3. Mr. Puranjit Banerjee M. Com. PGDMM, EEP 28 Asst. Secretary
4. Mr. Sudhakar Ghosh M.S.W. 34 Treasurer
5. Mrs. Shikha Roy Choudhury MA., B.Ed. 36 Member
6. Mr. Sagar Mondal B.A., LLB 32 Member
7. Mr. Dilip Kumar Patra M.S.W. 32 Member